Three Years and Two Weeks
by Swiperfox
Summary: Danny-centric story that takes place after the cliffhanger series finale.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Well, my anger at the cliffhanger we've been left with as a series finale has pushed my muse into action and I have a new story for you all.  
This isn't really my take on how I'd like to see the series end, this is more of a jump to what could happen. It's the story that popped into my head, so I went with it.  
I hope you enjoy and, of course, reply to let me know what you think.

I know other people have been trying to get the word out here, but I'm going to as well... if you're angry about the ending NBC has left us with and want to help out with the campaign, send me a PM and I'll get you the info about it. Thanks!

* * *

-Chapter 1-

Danny McCoy sighed and pushed aside the papers laying on his desk in front of him; not in a neat, I'm finished with these kind of way, but in a, I don't give a shit anymore kind of way. He frowned as he looked around his office, taking in the mess that seemed to accumulate by the hour. His eyes landed on the blanket that had slipped and was now laying half on, half off the couch; his bed for the past couple of days. He put his head down on the desk and closed his eyes.

The past three years were a blur and he wasn't really entirely sure how he had made it to where he was right now.

His eyes opened and landed on the picture frame sitting in the corner of his desk. Reaching out a hand, his fingers brushed lightly over the glass.

The sound of a knock and his office door opening brought Danny back to reality. He blinked and looked up, unsure of how long he had been laying like that. His eyes met Cooper's and he wearily rubbed his eyes.

"Danny, you're a mess." Cooper stated matter-of-factly, before crossing the room and making himself comfortable on the couch; picking up the falling blanket in the process.

Danny pushed his chair back and stood up. As he did, he caught his appearance in the reflection of a glass framed painting on the wall. He hadn't shaved in more than a week and was way overdue for a haircut. He had been wearing the same suit for at least two days and it showed. He self-consciously reached up and buttoned his collar and tightened his tie, smoothing it as he finished.

Cooper shook his head. "Don't bother." The owner of the Montecito crossed his legs and stared his employee down. "How long has it been since you've been home?"

Danny opened his mouth to answer, but quickly fell short, as he couldn't remember. "Um…" He did a little mental math and frowned. "Since Tuesday."

Cooper sat forward and leaned his elbows on his knees. "Danny, its Friday morning!" He shook his head and stared at the floor. After a few minutes of silence he looked back up. "Are you avoiding being there?"

"No!" Danny shook his head quickly. "No, it's just…" He indicated the growing pile of paperwork on the desk. "Things have gotten out of hand and I can't seem to catch up…"

"The casino is running fine." Cooper interrupted.

"I know. It's the back work, from…" Danny let his gaze fall from his boss's and stared at the floor.

"That long?" Cooper questioned with genuine concern. "Danny, why didn't you tell me? I could get you someone to help out. At least for a little while." He jumped to add the last part at Danny's look. He knew Danny wouldn't ask for help, he wanted to take care of things all on his own.

Cooper stood up and smoothed his pants legs. "Look, this can't keep happening." He indicated the state of the office and its occupant. "This is the third time in as many months that I've found you're sleeping here. Go home."

"Cooper, I'm on top of things. I promise…" Danny stopped talking as Cooper started shaking his head.

Danny sighed and sat back on the edge of his desk.

Cooper closed the distance between them and put his hand on Danny's shoulder. "I know that things at home are hard. I know that these three years have been…" He paused, trying to think of the right word. "Difficult."

Danny let his head drop and he closed his eyes. "I miss her so much. Everyday."

Cooper dropped his hand back to his side and averted his eyes. After a few minutes, he heard Danny pulling himself back together. "Okay, here's what's going to happen." He looked up and found that Danny was watching him. "I'm going to hire an assistant for you, part time, to work on all of the back paper work. There's no reason for you to be using your time doing that."

Danny nodded, reluctant to hand the reigns of any part of his job over.

"And…" Cooper continued. "You are taking two weeks off." He held up his hand, stopping Danny's angry response. "Two weeks. And when you come back, you better look like a human being again."

Cooper turned and walked back to the door. "I can't have my President of Operations looking like some homeless guy." He opened the door and left.

* * *

Jillian finished washing the sink full of dishes that had been waiting for her and checked her watch. It was past nine at night.

She sighed and crossed into the living room. Looking around, she marveled at how she still felt uneasy in this house.

When she had left Las Vegas with Ed, she had only been gone a matter of months, and now she had been back twice as long, but it still felt weird. Perhaps it was because without Ed around, there was no real need for a house this large… not that there ever had been.

She walked over to the fire place and looked at the pictures on the mantle. Her fingers lovingly brushed across the face in one of them.

Lost in her memories, Jillian didn't realize how long she had been standing there. Hearing the front door open and close, she picked up her head and looked at the clock.

"It's almost ten o'clock. Where have you been?" She crossed the room and went into the kitchen. "And where have you been for the past four days?"

Danny frowned and looked down at his shoes. "I'm sorry." He sighed and looked up, meeting her eyes. "I… work, it just got out of hand."

Jillian shook her head and pulled a stool out from under the lip of the counter, sitting down. "Danny, I have no responsibility to tell you you're screwing up, but you are."

He pulled his tie off and stuffed it in his pocket. "I know I am." He leaned against the counter for a minute before sliding down and sitting on the floor.

Jillian stood up and came around the island, squatting down in front of him. She rested her hands on his knees; the despair in his eyes making her heart ache. "I can only imagine how lost you're feeling. But it's not too late, I promise it's not."

Danny wiped his hands over his eyes and let his head drop back against the cabinet he was leaning on. "Cooper is making me take two weeks off."

"Good." Jillian smiled and took both of Danny's hands in hers. She squeezed them and then helped him to his feet. "It's been a bad day."

"It's been a bad four days." He said with a wary grin.

Jillian laughed. "Which means tomorrow will be better." She smiled. "I think these two weeks are exactly what you need."

Danny nodded and rubbed the back of his neck.

Jillian reached up and tucked a piece of his hair behind his ear. "Get yourself cleaned up and you'll feel better. I promise."

Danny leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I don't know what I would do without you."

Jillian just smiled and rubbed his back as he crossed out of the kitchen.

Danny pulled himself slowly up the back stairs and quietly pushed open the first door he came to. Finding himself truly smiling for the first time in several days, he walked inside and sat down on the floor next to the little bed.

Looking over at his three year old son felt like a huge weight was falling from him. Everything that had kept him at work for too long disappeared as he reached over and brushed his fingers over the sleeping boy's shaggy blond hair.

"I've been neglecting you." Danny shook his head. "That's got to stop."

Standing up, he reached down and picked the boy up, snuggling him against his chest. "Come on Jakey. Let's thank Grandma Jill for watching you and go home."


	2. Chapter 2

-Chapter 2-

_Danny gasped for breath. He felt as if all of the air had been sucked out of the waiting room of Las Vegas General Hospital. As the walls started to swim around him, he sat down hard and dropped his head between his knees, instinct keeping him from allowing himself to pass out._

_As the sounds of the hospital returned to him, he could hear Jillian sobbing a few seats away. He knew he should go comfort her; should stand up and go over to her, but he couldn't make himself move._

_The doctor who had dropped the bombshell on them had left. There was nothing he could do for them now. Nothing that could change the news he had delivered._

_A nurse came in and approached them cautiously. "Mr. McCoy?" _

_Danny forced his head up. As he did, he looked over at Jillian and had to swallow hard to keep from vomiting. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. "Yeah?"_

_  
The nurse focused her attention on him. She took a few steps closer and put her hand on his shoulder. "Would you like to come and see your son?"_

_Jillian looked up and put her hand over her mouth. "The baby?"_

_Danny blinked and stared up at the nurse. "My son?"_

_Obviously confused at first, it quickly occurred to the nurse that they had assumed that the baby hadn't made it either. "He's okay. Maybe a little small, but he'll be fine."_

_Danny's head swam. His son… he had a son. The nurse squeezed his shoulder slightly, trying to regain his attention. _

_Wiping at his eyes, Danny stood up and followed the nurse from the room and down the hall to meet his son._

_Two weeks later baby boy McCoy was cleared to be released from the hospital. The only catch was that the birth certificate needed to be filled out first and to do that, Danny had to give him a name._

--

When Danny woke up the next morning, he was content to roll onto his side and watch Jakey sleep. He knew it wouldn't be long before the little boy was awake and running on all cylinders.

Savoring the last remaining moments of quiet in his morning, Danny yawned and stretched his arms over his head before slipping out of bed to grab a shower.

He knew Jillian probably wouldn't approve if she knew that he let his son sleep in bed with him. But when the bad days and weeks came, it was all he could do to keep himself functioning and having Jake nearby was a big help. He could almost imagine that Delinda was sleeping in the other side of the bed; their little family complete.

Danny let the hot water pound on his head and face until he heard the door to the bathroom bang against the wall as it opened.

"Daddy!" A three year old copy of his father, Jakey ran over to the glass shower door and pressed his face up against it. "You home!"

Danny slid the shower door open and splashed his son. "Get in here." He quickly pulled the little boy's pajamas off and let him hop under the spray.

The McCoy men took a leisurely shower, but Jakey's attention soon began to drift. Danny made sure the little boy was sufficiently clean and shut off the water. He wrapped one towel around his waist and proceeded to chase his son around the bathroom, finally grabbing him in another towel.

They sat on the floor of the bathroom as Danny alternated between drying and tickling the squirming boy. After a while, Jake was laying on his back looking up at his father, panting from laughing so hard. Danny leaned forward and brushed his bangs back out of his eyes. "You need a haircut." He shook his head and caught his own reflection in the shower door. "We need to get both of us cleaned up today." He mused, brushing his own hair back.

Pulling himself and Jake up to their feet, Danny swatted his son with the towel. "Go get dressed and we'll get out of here."

While Jakey was attempting to put on clothes, Danny shaved and stared at himself in the mirror. Letting his eyes lose focus, he began a mental conversation with Delinda, something he often found himself doing several times a day, especially on his bad days. He could see her in the blurry image of himself in the mirror. 'He's so much like you Dee. His laugh… it's like having you here still.' He paused, thinking about his plans for the morning. 'I know you're going to hate it, but I've waited as long as I can. Your mom is pushing me.' He sighed and closed his eyes. "One more step in his growing up that you're missing."

When he opened his eyes, all Danny could see in the mirror was his own reflection; his face clean shaven and his hair falling in his eyes. He shook his head and left the bathroom.

Stopping in the doorway to his son's room, Danny smiled. Jake had managed to pull on a pair of underwear; backwards, and was now struggling with a sweatshirt, which was stuck because he had his head in an arm hole.

Danny entered the room and pulled the top off. "Bring your jeans and a t-shirt to my room and I'll help you."

In his own bedroom, Danny dressed himself and re-dressed his son. Picking the boy up, he slung him across his shoulders and laughed as he squealed. "Let's go kiddo. We've got things to do today!"

--

_Danny watched Jillian holding his infant son. She still looked incredibly sad all of the time, but there was a brightness in her eyes that showed up when she held him._

_A nurse entered from the back of the nursery carrying a clipboard. "Alright Mr. McCoy, I've checked out the car seat and you're ready to go." She smiled brightly and lifted the removable 'bucket' piece of the car seat up onto the nearby table, then held out the clipboard. "Once you finish filling in his birth certificate." _

_Taking a deep breath, Danny took the clipboard and stared at the piece of paper attached to it. His own name and Delinda's had already been entered, as well as all of the other vital information. The only blank space remaining was the name. _

_He looked up and watched Jillian and the baby before smiling and filling in the name he had decided on._

"_Well?" Jillian was now watching him. "What am I going to call my grandson?"_

_Danny held out his arms, wanting to hold his son. Once the baby was safely settled in the crook of his left arm, Danny passed the clipboard to Jillian._

"_Jacoby Edward Lawrence McCoy." Jillian looked up and watched Danny hold the little baby close to his face, tentatively stroking his soft cheek._

_Without looking up from his son, Danny explained. "I hope you don't mind, but I knew he'd never meet my dad and I figured he may never meet Ed, so I wanted him to have both of their names. And Jacoby was a name that Delinda and I talked about a lot. She really liked it." He looked up and smiled at Jillian. "I'll learn to love it."_

"_I already love it." Jillian whispered, watching father and son begin to bond._

_Danny leaned down and kissed the baby's tiny nose. "I think I'll call you Jake."_

--

Danny sighed in frustration, watching Jacoby staring up at him. "It's nap time, buddy."

The little boy shook his head. "No! No nap!" He made a move to run from the room and Danny grabbed his arm.

Dropping to his knees, Danny pulled Jakey to him and wrapped his arms around him. The boy struggled against him for a minute before giving in and going limp. Danny rested his chin on the top of his son's head and closed his eyes, wanting a nap himself.

"You're not tired at all?"

He felt Jake shake his head back and forth.

"And this has nothing to do with not wanting to go in your crib?" Danny smiled, knowing he was egging him on.

Jacoby paused and then shook his head. Struggling again, he managed to turn himself around so that he could look at his father. He reached up and rested a hand on each side of Danny's face. "I need a big bed."

Danny laughed and rubbed his son's hair, the new short style they were both now sporting making him look older; less like a baby. "You heard Grandma say that, didn't you?"

As Jakey smiled and started laughing, Danny let him fall backward and guided him to the floor. "You're a little copycat." They wrestled for a minute before Jakey got away and ran from the room.

Danny chased him out into the kitchen and found him giggling underneath the table. "Come out here."

"No." The response was hidden under more laughter.

"No? Okay." Danny sat down at one of the chairs, nudging the little boy with his foot several times and causing still more laughing. "I'll just pick out your new bed by myself then."

Jacoby crawled out from under the table and climbed into his father's lap. "I wanna help."

"Alright, alright." Danny smiled as he booted up his laptop and clicked onto a furniture website, looking for toddler beds.


	3. Chapter 3

Here's another chapter for you guys.

I have to say, I'm really disappointed with the lack of reviews. It seems that no one is really interested in this story, which is a little sad to me... I like it. But if no one is reading it/liking it, I won't continue posting and I'll start trying to come up with a new one.

Please let me know if you'd like this story to continue!

* * *

-Chapter 3-

Mike Cannon stepped out of his car and shut the door behind him. Standing in the bright sunlight, he squinted for a minute before pulling out his sunglasses and putting them on. He loosened his tie, grateful that he had left work early. These days he felt like he was rarely away from the casino so, it was nice to be outside.

He looked around at the crowd of people in front of him, trying to pick out a familiar face. Crossing from the parking lot into the enclosed area of the park, he didn't notice the little boy running straight for him.

"Uncle Mike!" Jacoby crashed into Mike's legs at full speed, wrapping his arms around his friend's knees.

Mike grunted as he fell back a few steps. He reached down and picked the boy up. "Jake, my man! Looking good." He quickly took in the new short hair and dirty face that Jake was wearing and smiled. "Where's your Daddy?"

Jacoby wiggled out of Mike's arms and took his hand, pulling him along through the playground equipment. They rounded the corner of the huge climbing structure in the center of the playground and Mike spotted Danny sitting on one of the benches lining the back fence.

Letting go of Mike's hand, Jacoby bounded over and jumped into his father's lap, jerking Danny from his half asleep stupor. Mike laughed at Danny's reaction and settled himself on the bench next to him.

"Morning, sunshine," Mike said, chuckling.

Danny shook his head and sat up, brushing the sand off of Jake's jeans. "Go play, kiddo. Uncle Mike and I are going to talk." He put the boy on the ground and kissed the top of his head quickly before he ran off.

"You're okay with him just running around like that?" Mike watched as Jacoby jumped into a nearby sandbox and started digging.

"I'm watching him," Danny grunted, brushing more sand from his own jeans.

"Didn't look like you were a minute ago."

"I saw you pull into the parking lot, so I knew he was running for you." Danny turned his head and eyed his friend.

Mike saw the look on his friend's face and held up his hands in defeat. "No, no, no. I'm not insinuating anything. I'm just asking."

The two men sat and watched Jacoby play in the sandbox for a while. Mike turned his head and took in Danny's appearance.

"Looks like you two have had a good couple of days." Mike smiled when Danny turned to look at him. "You look better."

"Thanks." Danny shrugged his shoulders. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, studying his son playing a few yards away. "He looks so much older."

Mike laughed. "He looks even more like you." When Danny didn't respond, Mike looked over and frowned. "You okay, man?"

"Yeah." Danny dropped his head and ran his hands roughly over his face and hair. "No. It's just…" he sighed, "it's so hard to watch him grow up."

Mike frowned and tentatively rested a hand on his friend's back. "Because Delinda isn't here?"

"I've gotten to see all of these amazing moments; all his firsts, all of those things that make having him amazing. And now seeing him change from that little baby into this little person." Danny looked over at Jacoby and then turned to face Mike. "I'm so proud of him, but it just hurts so much."

Mike watched as Danny stared at his son with such pain in his eyes that it made Mike's heart ache. He sighed, trying to think of the right thing to say; knowing there was no right thing. "I know it's hard, man. I mean, I can't imagine what it's really like, but I know it's hard. But you have to be okay with it because there's nothing you can do to change it."

Danny wiped his fingers under his eyes quickly before looking over at Mike.

"You can't let this paralyze you Danny. You know Delinda is watching and she wouldn't want this to keep you down. She'd want you to give Jacoby a happy and cheerful childhood."

"I know, but that's so much easier said than done."

Mike smiled. "You have all of us to help you Danny, just like you have for the past three years." He looked over at Jacoby and smiled. "We're all seeing every one of those moments and changes that you're talking about. You're not alone."

Danny found himself begin to smile, but it quickly faded. "I have this fear because it's just him and me," he sighed. "Another generation of McCoy men growing up without a mother."

"You didn't turn out so bad, Danny," Mike frowned. "And besides, as much as Jakey is going to be cheated out of having his mom, it's different than you. He never met Delinda, so he won't have the pain of remembering her. He'll only know what we all tell him; all the good things."

Mike elbowed Danny's ribs. "And maybe he'll have a step-Mom one day who'll fill that hole."

Danny shook his head and sniffled again. When he sat up, he was finally smiling. "Thanks, Mike."

Mike laughed and put his arm around his friend. "Cheer up already!"

Hearing his father joining in the laughter, Jakey climbed out of the sandbox and ran over. He pulled himself up onto the bench between the two men and smiled. Danny ran his hand over his son's hair and leaned over to kiss his head.

"What's up kid?" Mike grinned down at his surrogate nephew.

Jake got up on his knees to that he was closer to Mike's height and leaned against Danny's shoulder. "I got new bed!"

Mike raised an eyebrow and looked around the boy at Danny, who just laughed. "Well, not yet. It's going to come soon."

"No more crib, huh?"

Jacoby nodded proudly.

"That's a pretty big step." Mike smiled at Danny. "So," he stretched his arms over his head and yawned. "We still on for going out tonight?"

Danny nodded. "This guy is going to spend the night at Grandma's house."

Jacoby spun around and faced his father. "Grandma!" His eyes lit up and Danny smiled.

"I think he's okay with the plan."

--

Having agreed to meet Mike for a 'grown up' dinner later, Danny took Jacoby to Jillian's house early so that he could spend some time visiting.

Jacoby pushed open the front door and went running in search of his grandmother. As Danny closed the door behind him, he heard Jillian's voice from the kitchen. He smiled and headed in that direction.

"My God, look at you." Jillian had Jakey in her arms as she leaned against the counter. She looked up as Danny came in and smiled. "He looks like such a big boy!"

She kissed her grandson and put him down. Walking over to Danny, she gently rested her hand against his cheek. "And you look one hundred times better."

Danny smiled and kissed her cheek. "Thank you." He walked over and sat down at the counter. "What can I do to help?"

Jillian returned to preparing dinner for her and Jakey. "Just sit there and be your handsome self."

He shook his head and smiled. "Alright, well, is there anything you need to have done around here?"

"That's what handymen are for. Seriously," she put her hand over one of his. "Just sit."

The two of them were quiet; the only noises those of Jillian chopping carrots and Jakey playing with his toy cars in the next room.

Jillian broke the silence first. "Did you go for the haircuts today?"

"Yesterday; and I got a bunch of stuff done around the apartment too."

She nodded. "That's good."

"I also ordered a new bed for someone who said he needed a 'big bed'." Danny grinned as Jillian started blushing.

"Sorry," she said, laughing. "I was just trying to subtly move you along."

Danny nodded, understanding. "I know I've been…"

"You've been grieving," Jillian interrupted, "and you'll do it in your own time."

Nodding his head, Danny stood up and walked across the room. He crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame so that he could watch Jake.

Jillian put down her knife and went over to Danny, putting her hand on his elbow.

"I'm okay." Danny smiled as he watched his little boy playing. "I feel like the fog is starting to lift."


	4. Chapter 4

I apologize for perhaps making people think that I had abandoned this story. Life definitely got out of hand there for a while and my writing time was what suffered.

Thank you to everyone who left replies/reviews on the last chapter! It really helps a lot (to all writers, I'm sure) to know that people are out there reading and enjoying my work. Please, please, please keep reviewing! It brightens my day to get those review alerts in my inbox!

* * *

-Chapter 4-

The mid-morning crowds in the Montecito were thin as the young woman walked through the main entrance. She looked around until her eyes landed on the sign for the front desk. Crossing the large open area, she joined the end of the line waiting to be helped.

When it was finally her turn, she smiled brightly at the woman behind the counter. "Hi there. I need to speak to Danny McCoy, please."

The woman behind the counter glanced down at her computer screen. She was trying to do her job well, but had lost interest in the repetitive questions that were thrown at her daily. "I'm sorry, Mr. McCoy is out," she replied, her voice betraying her boredom.

"When will he be back?"

Trying her best not to roll her eyes, the woman plastered a smile on her face. "I'm sorry ma'am, but we do not release that kind of information about the President of Operations."

"The President?" The young woman blinked in surprise, stumbling over her words. "Oh… um, well, thank you anyway."

As her customer began to step away, the woman behind the counter remembered her job. "Can I leave your name, ma'am?"

Turning back, the woman ran her fingers through her red hair and nodded. "Mary Connell."

Minutes later, Mary sat in her rental car and sighed. A young man in a valet's uniform looked through the window at her expectantly, so she put the car in drive and pulled away from the hotel.

* * *

Having picked up his son from spending the night at the Deline house, Danny was cruising down Las Vegas Boulevard with the top down on the Camaro.

Strapped into his carseat in the back, Jake was grinning and absently kicking at the back of his father's seat as he watched all of the large casino buildings flash by.

Shortly after Jacoby had come home from the hospital, Jillian had pointed out to Danny all of the areas in which his beloved car was going to fall short when it came to transporting a child. Agreeing, Danny had bought a more compatible car and relegated the Camaro to use on special occasions. Of course, Danny's definition of a special occasion left room for plenty of use of the car.

Glancing in the rear view mirror, Danny watched Jake laughing as the wind blew over his face. Jake looked up and caught his father watching him and grinned. "Where we goin'?"

"We're going to Daddy's office. I need to pick up a couple of things." He knew that Cooper was going to skin him if he saw him in the casino, but Danny was already starting to feel jumpy because he didn't know what was happening there.

As they slowed and came to a stop at a red light, Danny felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket and pulled it out to check the caller ID. Frowning slightly, he flipped it open and answered.

* * *

Driving around the city she had run from years ago, Mary found herself at a loss. Her plan had been to get in touch with Danny as soon as she got to town; it hadn't occurred to her what to do if he wasn't at the casino on a Monday morning.

Thinking as she blindly navigated the streets, she decided that maybe he had taken a personal day. She steered the car to the tall apartment tower where Danny and Delinda lived.

Finding herself in the locked entryway, she scanned the list of names and frowned. No McCoy. That was strange, she remembered Danny's name being included in the listing. She tried looking for Deline, but again came up empty.

Scanning her memory and praying they hadn't moved, Mary recalled the apartment number and pressed the button; the name sticker next to which was blank.

An older woman's voice came through the crackly speaker. "Hello?"

"Hi there. I'm looking for Danny McCoy or Delinda Deline," Mary said brightly.

The speaker crackled and then the voice came through again. "You have the wrong apartment."

Mary frowned and thought for a minute, before pressing the button to speak again. "I know they used to live in this apartment. I was wondering if maybe you knew where I could find them."

"I've lived here for almost three years. You'd think your friends might have let you know where they moved or maybe you're just slow to get the hint."

Mary thought she heard the woman laugh before the speaker cut off. Frowning, she returned to the car and dropped her head back against the headrest in frustration.

* * *

Danny closed his phone and steered into the left turn lane as they approached the next set of traffic lights. "Change of plans kiddo." He glanced in the mirror again. "We have to go to Henderson."

"Where H-henderson?" Jake pronounced the new word slowly, copying how he heard it.

Smiling at his son's ability to parrot his words, Danny accelerated onto the highway and away from The Strip. "It's where the new job site is. We're going to go see Hank."

Jacoby smiled and stuck his hands up in the air, cheering. Just another way he was the same as his father, he loved to play on the heavy construction site equipment and had been around it his whole life.

Twenty-five minutes later, the bright yellow Camaro pulled off the road onto a dirt lot and stopped along side a battered looking construction trailer painted with the McCoy Construction logo. Danny cut the engine and got out. Reaching into the backseat, he unbuckled the car seat and lifted Jake out, settling him onto his hip.

Jake struggled, wanting to go play, but Danny only tightened his grip as he climbed the stairs of the trailer and went into the office. The busy construction site would only be busy for another ten minutes before the crew left for their lunch break; then Jacoby could play.

As Danny entered the foreman's office in the trailer, Jake let out a howl and started kicking at him. "I wanna play!" The little boy threw his head back and smacked it against the doorframe, escalating his crying even more.

Hank looked up from the blueprints spread across his desk. "You want some ice?"

Danny nodded as he sat down on the stool in front of a drafting table and cradled his son. Jake's cries slowed to a quiet whimper as he shoved one thumb into his mouth and closed his eyes.

Once Jake was holding the ice on his head himself, Hank picked him up and carried him over to the small window so he could look out.

"One more minute and we need to let these guys know it's time for lunch. Do you want to pull the whistle?"

Jacoby nodded solemnly, still sniffling and recovering from his ordeal.

Danny stood up and crossed the room to Hank's desk. "I'll bring you out there to play as soon as I finish looking at this."

The little boy frowned at his father over Hank's shoulder. "Wanna go now," he sniffled softly, mumbling around his thumb.

"I can take him, Danny. I don't mind." Jacoby immediately perked up when he heard Hank's offer.

"Alright, just keep a close eye on him Hank. He can get into trouble in two seconds these days." Danny shook his head and dropped his attention back to the construction plans in front of him.

Miraculously recovered, Jacoby was squirming out of Hank's arms and pulling him by the hand as they exited the trailer. Seconds later, Danny heard the lunch whistle blow, followed by the sound of his son laughing.

He smiled at the sound and focused on what needed to get done in front of him, so he could go and get some playing in as well.

* * *

Mary had been driving around aimlessly, trying to think of some place that she might find Danny. Over lunch at a random diner, she had debated about going back to the Montecito and wandering around there. The hope of finding an employee she recognized was slim because the turnover rate at the casino was so high. After four years, her chances of that happening were reduced to next to nothing.

She had no idea where to find any of her old friends and wondered if they would want to see and help her after all of this time. Even when her name had been cleared, Mary had never gotten in touch with anyone. She supposed it was because she was afraid to hear how they had moved on with their lives.

In a last move of desperation, Mary found herself driving on autopilot, headed for the Deline's mansion. She pulled into the large circular driveway and turned off the engine. Before even getting out of the car, she peered through the windows, attempting to assure herself that they hadn't moved as well.

The furniture that she could see looked the same, so she climbed out of the car and rang the doorbell.

Wiping her hands on a dishtowel, Jillian crossed into the entryway. She opened the door quickly, having recognized Mary through the glass. "Mary!"

Jillian immediately pulled the younger woman into her arms, giving her a big hug. Mary returned the hug, happy to finally see someone from her life here in Las Vegas.

"Jillian, I'm so sorry to just reappear and drop in like this…"

"Do not apologize," Jillian interrupted. "I'm so happy to see you. Come in!" She took Mary's wrist and gently pulled her inside.

Mary let herself be led into the spacious kitchen and quickly found herself seated at a table with a glass of iced tea in front of her.

Jillian settled into a chair across the table and leaned forward. "So where have you been? What brings you back now?"

Laughing softly, Mary shook her head. "I don't even know where to begin." She sipped her tea and stared out the window, trying to come up with the answers Jillian wanted. "When I left four years ago, I suppose I didn't really plan on coming back. I was settled and thought I was okay, moving on."

"And where were you?"

"A small town outside of Denver; I had a little house," Mary blushed slightly. "With a white picket fence outside."

Jillian smiled and waited for Mary to continue.

"I suppose I wasn't as okay as I thought I was. I mean, I was working and had some friends and was even dating, but recently," she paused and shook her head. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about Las Vegas and everyone here."

"I understand," Jillian nodded. "So you came home."

Mary nodded, staring into her tea. "But I have no idea how to come home." She looked up and met Jillian's eyes. "It's been so long. I thought that I'd just sneak back into town and find Danny. I figured that if anyone could help me, it would be Danny." She sighed and leaned back in the chair. "But I just can't find him. They won't tell me anything at the casino, just that he's not there. Did he and Delinda move?"

Jillian felt her heart skip a beat and was sure she paled a little. She reached across the table and rested her hand on top of Mary's. "Oh honey, Delinda died; three years ago now."

* * *

Danny watched the sun beginning to sink behind the framed out buildings in front of him. It made the sky look like someone had painted it in reds and pinks.

"Daddy!"

His eyes tracked down onto the excavator parked in front of him. Jacoby was standing on its treads, covered head to toe in the dust and dirt of the site. He was waving, using his whole body, while Hank held on tightly to his other hand, keeping him from falling off.

Danny waved and jogged over. When he was about a foot away, Hank let go and Jake jumped toward his father. Danny caught him in a puff of dirt and spun them both around. "You having fun?"

"Yeah!" Jacoby nodded enthusiastically.

"Thanks for letting us hang out for the afternoon, Hank."

Hank nodded and smiled. "It's always nice to have you around Danny-boy."

Danny started brushing the dirt from Jake's shorts and the little boy began pouting. "What's wrong?"

"Don' wanna go." Jake stuck out his lower lip.

"Well, I need to walk through the site before locking up," Hank hooked his thumb over his shoulder. "If you two would like to go along."

Jacoby started bouncing in place where Danny had put him down. "Alright, alright; we've got no plans tonight anyway," Danny laughed. "But you have to stay with me and wear a hard hat."

"You know we don't have any in his size."

Danny quickly shushed Hank and crossed back to the office. He came out wearing his old hard hat and put the smallest one he could find on his son's head. It quickly slipped down over the boy's eyes.

"It will have to do."

Jacoby pushed up the hat and took off for the doorway of the new building.

"Stop when you get there or we're going home!"

Hank started walking with Danny. "It's weird, I remember your dad yelling out the same thing when you were a kid and it never worked."


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you everyone for your reviews/replies! As always, they are what keep me going when working on the new chapters. I hope you enjoy this one. It took me a while to get it out.

Due to a new job, my writing time has been reduced to next to nothing, but rest assured that I will continue whenever I get time and this story will be finished. :)

Enjoy!

* * *

-Chapter 5-

Danny ducked around a clothing rack and nearly tripped over a stroller before catching his laughing son by the arm, stopping him in his tracks.

The woman who was pushing the stroller glared at him and made a comment about unfit parenting under her breath before turning and walking away.

Danny tightened his grip on Jacoby's arm and started pulling him toward the store's exit.

Jacoby stopped laughing and looked up at his father. "We goin'?"

"Yes," Danny said through clenched teeth. "It's time to go home."

"Ice cream," Jacoby wailed loudly. "You said ice cream."

Danny shook his head. "No. I told you not to run away from me while we were in the mall and you didn't listen. We're going home!"

Jacoby immediately went limp and dropped to the floor, sobbing.

Danny stood there, staring numbly at his son having a tantrum. He was aware of people stopping to watch and whisper, but found himself suddenly sapped of energy.

He was exhausted, having got very little sleep the night before. He had been plagued by dreams of Delinda, all ending the same way, with her disappearing and him waking up either sweating profusely or calling out.

He blinked his eyes and focused on Jacoby. The boy had lost no steam in his tantrum and was banging his fists on the floor.

Danny slid down with his back against the wall and dropped his head into his hands. "I can't do this."

--

"_I can't do this." Danny leaned his forehead against the glass window of the hospital nursery._

_He looked down at the bassinet that a nurse had just wheeled over a minute earlier. The baby inside seemed impossibly small to him and was crying lustily. There was a small blue piece of paper taped to the plastic wall above its head that simply said, McCoy._

_As the baby's crying got louder and its face grew redder, Danny wondered if there had been a mistake. He was supposed to immediately fall in love with his child, wasn't he? This baby was just making him feel anxious._

_Finally a nurse came over and stuck a pacifier in its mouth, instantly silencing it._

_Danny stared as the baby sucked its way to sleep._

"_My God, he's beautiful."_

_Danny turned his head to face Jillian, who was now standing next to him. She was wiping at her eyes with a tissue and sniffling. He could see the sadness in her face lessen as she filled with love for her grandson._

_He looked back through the window and frowned. "I can't do this."_

"_What do you mean?" Jillian looked over as he backed away, suddenly filled with an overwhelming panic._

"_This." Danny nodded toward the nursery. "I'm not meant to be a father." He shook his head repeatedly and backed into the wall on the other side of the hallway._

_Jillian moved slowly toward him. "Of course you are. You'll see…" _

"_No. I didn't want to in the first place. It was all Delinda and now she's…." he trailed off. "No. I'll give the baby up for adoption."_

_Jillian felt her broken heart break a little more as she watched Danny run down the hall._

--

Danny looked through his fingers at the pair of high-heeled boots that had just stopped in front of him.

"I heard there was a kid having a fit over here while his father sat around doing nothing. Of course it's you," the voice accompanying the boots snapped.

Danny sighed and slowly looked up to meet Sam's eyes.

At the sound of the new, familiar voice, Jacoby stopped crying and sat up. "Sam!"

She shot him a nasty look and focused on Danny. "On your feet, McCoy." She reached out a hand and helped to pull him to his feet. "Little McCoy too."

Jacoby sniffled and wiped his nose on his sleeve as he quietly got to his feet and hid behind his father's leg, staring up at Sam.

"What's going on with you?" Sam whispered under her breath as she pulled Danny toward the store's exit.

Sullenly, Danny pulled Jacoby along behind him and shrugged at Sam. "I'm just having a bad day. They come out of nowhere sometimes."

"So you come to the mall and create a scene? Doesn't sound like the best plan." Sam continued walking until they were through the doors and outside on the sidewalk. She stopped and turned to face them.

Danny's face was blank and yet his eyes were full of sadness. Sam felt her heart soften just a little bit. In the past three years, it hadn't taken much from either of the McCoy's to make her lose her carefully cultivated gruff exterior, but she had always had a soft spot for Danny. She let her eyes move over to Jacoby, who was still hiding behind Danny, unsure of what was happening. When he noticed her looking at him, he frowned and ducked his head behind his father's leg. Sam's heart ached for the two of them.

Crouching down, she held out her arms. "Come here."

Slowly, Jacoby met her eyes and then moved over to where she waited. When he was within reach, Sam wrapped her arms around him and picked him up. "I'm sorry I scared you." He looked up at her and smiled wearily.

Suddenly tired from the whole ordeal, Jacoby laid his head down on her shoulder and closed his eyes; his left thumb finding its way to his mouth. Sam rubbed the back of his head softly and found herself slowly rocking him.

She looked over at Danny who was still just staring at her. "Do you regret any of this?" She nodded her head in the direction of his son, who was drifting softly to sleep in her arms.

Danny closed his eyes and shook his head. "No. Never." He took a step closer to her and leaned over to kiss the top of Jacoby's head.

Sam reached up and rubbed Danny's back with her free hand. Hooking his neck, she pulled him down to her height and kissed his cheek. "Let's get you out of this funk."

--

_Jillian had waited for a while before going after Danny. She decided that he needed some time to process everything that was happening. In a matter of minutes he had lost the woman he loved and gained a son. She was sure he was just overwhelmed; she was praying that he was just overwhelmed. The thought of losing her new grandson was too much to bear and she pushed it from her mind._

_Pushing open the door to the hospital chapel, Jillian looked inside and sighed with relief. Danny was sitting in one of the pews, rocking slightly with his arms wrapped around himself. She paused for a minute, wondering if she should interrupt his grief._

"_Danny?" she whispered, her voice breaking the hushed silence of the otherwise empty room._

_Danny didn't acknowledge that he had heard her, but he stopped rocking and she heard him sniffle._

_She crossed down the carpeted aisle and sat down in the pew behind him, giving him some amount of privacy. She watched him wipe his face off with his sleeve._

_The two sat in silence for a long time, each lost in their own thoughts and prayers._

_Danny's voice was gravelly and rough when he finally spoke. "I don't know how to take care of a baby. When I looked at that baby, the only thing I felt was terror."_

"_No one is prepared when they become a parent. They may think they are, but they aren't. Do you think Ed was ready when Delinda was born? He was scared to death."_

_Danny turned to face her. "But he had you. Between the two of you, you figured it out, right?"_

_Jillian nodded, "Of course. That's how it works."_

"_Delinda is dead. I can't do it myself." _

"_You won't be doing it yourself! You'll have me, and Sam, and Mike, and countless other people who love you and will love your son." Jillian slid forward in her seat and rested her hand against Danny's cheek. "Anytime you feel like you're alone and you're lost, someone will be there to help you."_

_Danny closed his eyes and another few tears escaped. "I'm sorry. How could I ever give the baby away? It's Delinda's baby." His voice was so quiet that even right next to him, Jillian almost didn't hear him._

_She stroked his cheek and the back of his head. "Not it; him." She wiped her own tears away. "Look at me."_

_Obediently, Danny opened his eyes and looked at her. _

"_Say it; him, your son."_

"_My son."_

--

Sam sat on a bench outside of the mall, Jacoby sleeping in her arms. His arm was curled around her neck and his breath was soft in her hair. She sighed and rubbed his back gently.

Appearing out of the mall doors, Danny crossed to the bench and sat down next to her. He handed her one of the two cups of coffee he was carrying.

"He okay?"

Sam nodded as she sipped her coffee. "Hasn't stirred."

Danny nodded and drank from his own cup.

The pair sat in silence while a group of teenage girls passed by.

"You okay?" Sam looked over at him.

Danny's eyes had followed the progress of the girls into the mall. He turned back to face Sam and nodded. "I will be. I always am."

"How come you haven't told any of us how bad things have been lately?" Sam shifted slightly and eyed Jacoby for a reaction; there was none. "Mike said that Cooper made you take time off."

"What else has Mike said?" Danny grumbled.

"Danny." Sam shook her head. "Don't get defensive, we're only trying to help and if you don't let us in, we can't. You know that we've all been available to do anything since Jake was born and Delinda died, but we can't read your mind. If you're having a hard time, tell us so we can help."

Sam could tell that Danny was getting agitated and shifted again, hoping he wouldn't raise his voice and wake up Jacoby.

"It's been three years! It's ridiculous that I can't get past this and get on with my life."

"What are you trying to get on with? Danny, your whole life changed that day and it was going to whether Delinda made it or not. You're a father; and a damn good one, but you have to accept that this is how it is. It's okay to grieve, even three years later. But to get into these paralyzing funks where you stop living, is not going to change a thing."

Danny sighed and slumped down against the back of the bench. "I know that, I do… it's just," he shook his head and stopped, staring straight ahead, the fight drained out of him. "You've heard all of my excuses." He shrugged and looked at her. "You're right." He smiled slightly, "as always."

Sam smirked. "I love hearing that." She finished her coffee and set the cup on the bench next to her before lifting her hand and swatting Danny hard on the upper arm. "But damnit McCoy, when this happens come and tell one of us. I'll take Jacoby and Mike will take you out for a beer and we'll get through it."

Danny rubbed the sore spot on his arm. "Ow."

"I'm not going to drag your ass out of the mall and talk you down again."

"Alright," Danny nodded.

Sam eyed him. "I mean it."

"Okay!"

The pair laughed and settled into more casual conversation while Jacoby napped in Sam's arms.

* * *

The sun had sunk lower as the afternoon had passed, but the early evening was still desert hot in Las Vegas.

Jillian and Mary had stayed up late the night before as they caught each other up on what had happened in the last four years. Jillian had told Mary all about her grandson and how he had come into the world and Mary had sat, trying to picture Danny as a father. The one thing Jillian hadn't told Mary about was Danny's endless grieving, she felt it wasn't her place.

Mary was sitting at the small table in the breakfast nook, holding a glass of iced tea between her hands. She had a clear view of the kitchen, where Jillian was cooking dinner and cradling the phone against her shoulder.

Jillian sighed and let the phone drop into her hands. She turned it off and put it down on the counter. "I don't know where he is. He hasn't answered his cell phone or his house phone all day."

"Are you worried?" Mary questioned, feeling slightly worried herself.

Jillian thought about it for a minute before shaking her head. "Not really. There are too many people in this town that know Danny. If something had happened, someone would have called me."

Mary laughed in agreement. "True."

The two resumed their continuing conversation about Mary's work in Colorado as an aide at a long-term care facility for the elderly. Mary felt she had found a calling and was hoping to find the same position in Las Vegas.

They were so consumed in their talk and the comforting noises of cooking that they both jumped when the front door banged open twenty minutes later. Mary clamped her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming and Jillian turned, back against the counter to face the door to the front hallway.

Jillian immediately relaxed and smiled as she heard two sets of familiar footsteps heading away from them toward the living room. One running, thunderously, the way only a small child can and the other an adult working to keep up.

Danny's voice carried from the living room. "Hey Grandma!" he yelled. "We're going swimming in your pool."

Jillian and Mary heard the patio doors slide open followed by the sound of Jacoby's laughter and then a splash as Danny dove in. They could hear Danny coax his son to join him and there was soon the noise of playing in the water.

Smiling, Jillian turned to face Mary, who looked slightly pale. "Would you like to come and meet my grandson?"

Mary took a deep and steadying breath before nodding. She was incredibly nervous about seeing Danny after the years that had passed and the tales she had heard.

The two women walked out of the kitchen and followed the same path the boys had just taken. There were shoes and shirts strewn along the way. Jillian stopped to pick up the towels that had been dropped just inside the door.

Jillian crossed into the fading sunlight on the back patio and smiled watching as Jacoby laughed and held onto Danny's shoulders. The pair disappeared under the water and as soon as Danny stood up again, Jacoby dissolved into more laughter.

"Boys, we have a guest." Jillian walked over to the edge of the pool and blew a kiss to Jacoby.

Danny turned in the water just as Mary made her way to the edge of the pool. "Oh my God!" His smile was huge as he saw his childhood friend. He started making his way to the edge of the pool, but Jacoby wasn't as excited about seeing the new person as his father was and started whining.

Mary watched as Danny stopped to deal with his son's stranger anxiety. She took in the sight in front of her; the little boy with buzz cut blonde hair, safely wrapped in his father's arms as his father whispered in his ear about his old friend who he wanted the boy to meet. She looked at Danny as he pointed up at her, his dark hair cut much the same way as his son's, making them look remarkably alike.

As much as Mary wanted to be jealous that Danny had the one thing she truly wanted and that she hadn't given it to him, she couldn't be. She saw too much of Delinda in the little boy's face and she immediately missed her friend.

With Jacoby still slightly weary, Danny moved down the edge of the pool, still in the water, until he was beneath Mary. He squinted in the sun and smiled up at her. "Mary, I'd like you to meet my son, Jacoby."

She squatted down so that she was closer to eye level with them and smiled as Jacoby held out his little hand to shake hers. "Hi."


End file.
